Off-Road Disciplines: Spiritual Adventures of Missional Leaders (J-B Leadership Network Series)

241 Pages·2006·0.85 MB·English

by  Earl Creps

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Off-Road
Disciplines
Spiritual Adventures
of Missional Leaders
Earl Creps
Foreword by Dan Kimball
A PUBLICATION
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Off-Road Disciplines
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Off-Road
Disciplines
Spiritual Adventures
of Missional Leaders
Earl Creps
Foreword by Dan Kimball
A PUBLICATION
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Copyright © 2006 by Earl Creps. All rights reserved.
Published by Jossey-Bass
A Wiley Imprint
989 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94103–1741 www.josseybass.com
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any
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orcompleteness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of
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All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW
INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible
Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.
Excerpt from “Evangelizing Folk Religionists,” by Gailyn Van Rheenen. March 12, 2002, e-mail
newsletter (missiological-refl[email protected]). Copyright 2003 by Gailyn Van Rheenen.
Reprinted with permission from Gailyn Van Rheenen.
Excerpt from “An Interview with U2’s Bono,” by Peter Mansbridge. June 28, 2002,
http://www.atu2.com/news/article.src?ID=2364. Copyright CBC, 2002. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission from the CBC.
Excerpt from “A Theology to Die For,” by Timothy George. February 9, 1998, http://www.
ctlibrary.com/ct/1998/february9/8t2049.html. Reprinted with permission from Timothy George.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Creps, Earl G.
Off-road disciplines: spiritual adventures of missional leaders / Earl Creps; foreword by
Dan Kimball.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN-13: 978–0–7879–8520–2 (cloth)
ISBN-10: 0–7879–8520–1 (cloth)
1. Christian leadership. 2. Leadership, Religious aspects—Christianity. I. Title.
BV652.1.C735 2006
253—dc22 2006020384
Printed in the United States of America
FIRSTEDITION
HB Printing 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
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Leadership Network Titles
The Blogging Church: Sharing the Story of Your Church Through Blogs,by
Brian Bailey with Terry Storch
Leading from the Second Chair: Serving Your Church, Fulfilling Your Role,
and Realizing Your Dreams,by Mike Bonem and Roger Patterson
The Way of Jesus: A Journey of Freedom for Pilgrims and Wanderers, by
Jonathan S. Campbell with Jennifer Campbell
Leading the Team-Based Church: How Pastors and Church Staffs Can Grow
Together into a Powerful Fellowship of Leaders,by George Cladis
Organic Church: Growing Faith Where Life Happens,by Neil Cole
Off-Road Disciplines: Spiritual Adventures of Missional Leaders, by Earl
Creps
Leading Congregational Change Workbook,by James H. Furr, Mike Bonem,
and Jim Herrington
Leading Congregational Change: A Practical Guide for the Transformational
Journey,by Jim Herrington, Mike Bonem, and James H. Furr
The Leader’s Journey: Accepting the Call to Personal and Congregational
Transformation,by Jim Herrington, Robert Creech, and Trisha Taylor
Culture Shift: Transforming Your Church from the Inside Out, by Robert
Lewis and Wayne Cordeiro, with Warren Bird
A New Kind of Christian: A Tale of Two Friends on a Spiritual Journey,by
Brian D. McLaren
The Story We Find Ourselves In: Further Adventures of a New Kind of Chris-
tian,by Brian D. McLaren
v
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vi LEADERSHIPNETWORKTITLES
Practicing Greatness: 7 Disciplines of Extraordinary Spiritual Leaders, by
Reggie McNeal
The Present Future: Six Tough Questions for the Church,by Reggie McNeal
A Work of Heart: Understanding How God Shapes Spiritual Leaders, by
Reggie McNeal
The Millennium Matrix: Reclaiming the Past, Reframing the Future of the
Church,by M. Rex Miller
Shaped by God’s Heart: The Passion and Practices of Missional Churches,by
Milfred Minatrea
The Ascent of a Leader: How Ordinary Relationships Develop Extraordinary
Character and Influence,by Bill Thrall, Bruce McNicol, and Ken McElrath
The Missional Leader: Equipping Your Church to Reach a Changing World,
by Alan J. Roxburgh and Fred Romanuk
The Elephant in the Boardroom: Speaking the Unspoken About Pastoral Tran-
sitions,by Carolyn Weese and J. Russell Crabtree
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Contents
About Leadership Network ix
Foreword xi
Introduction: Off-Road Disciplines xiii
Part One: Personal Disciplines
1. Death: The Discipline of Personal Transformation 3
2. Truth: The Discipline of Sacred Realism 15
3. Perspective: The Discipline of POV 27
4. Learning: The Discipline of Reverse Mentoring 41
5. Witness: The Discipline of Spiritual Friendship 55
6. Humility: The Discipline of Decreasing 71
Part Two: Organizational Disciplines
7. Assessment: The Discipline of Missional Efficiency 87
8. Harmony: The Discipline of Blending Differences 99
9. Reflection: The Discipline of Discernment 123
10. Opportunity: The Discipline of Making Room 139
11. Sacrifice: The Discipline of Surrendering 157
Preferences
12. Legacy: The Discipline of Passing the Baton 173
vii
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viii CONTENTS
Epilogue: Three Coffee Houses 185
Notes 187
Acknowledgments 203
The Author 205
Index 207